--- title: "Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, December 28, 2025" description: Julie Storr shares a reflection on the Prayer Over the Offerings for the Feast of the Holy Family.  image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Lectio%20the%20Liturgy%20Banner.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-december-28-2025#) [FAITH](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/faith) # Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, December 28, 2025 Dec 27, 2025 1:00:00 PM  |  by [Julie Storr](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/julie-storr) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Lectio%20the%20Liturgy%20Banner.png) *Julie Storr shares a reflection on the Prayer Over the Offerings for the Feast of the Holy Family. * --- This week we Lectio thehe Liturgy with the Prayer Over the Offerings for the Feast of the Holy Family. This prayer isn’t just about the Holy Family, it’s about yours. > We offer you, Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation, humbly asking that, through the intercession of the Virgin Mother of God and Saint Joseph, you may establish our families firmly in your grace and your peace. Through Christ our Lord. ## Set firm in God's Grace and Peace My first thought as I reflected on this prayer was that if I’m offering the Lord a sacrifice of conciliation, I should probably know what that is. In the Latin form of the prayer, for *conciliation*, we find the word *placationis*. It means a pacifying. In regard to the faith, it means an offering that is pleasing and pure, and that offering is Christ’s. In English, conciliation means that things are in their proper places. In the prayer, we offer the perfect sacrifice that brings things to be aligned properly, back to peace and order. What we are asking for in the prayer is that our families would be established, or set firm, in God’s grace and peace, and that this foundation comes through the intercession of the Mother of God and Saint Joseph. How can Mary and Joseph pray for us? Because they are part of the Communion of Saints. As Christians, we believe in eternal life in Jesus. Those who have passed are no longer with us in body, but they are alive in Christ and they are now closer to Jesus than anyone could be. ## The Power of Intercessory Prayer I thought a lot about what it means to have Mary and Joseph intercede for us. In the Catholic faith, there are basically four types of prayer. We have the prayer of blessing and adoration, through which we praise God. We have prayer of thanksgiving when we thank God for what He has done and has given. Prayers of petition are offered when we ask God for what we need or we ask for His forgiveness, and we say prayers of intercession when we ask for what others need. To intercede for others can be a simple prayer, perhaps similar to praying for someone on the church prayer chain, “Lord, please be with Doris today as she has surgery, and be with the surgeon. I also ask for a quick healing for her. Amen.” However, to intercede is intended to mean that we stand in the gap for someone else. It produces in you a deep yearning to put the person and their need in the hands of Jesus and you are the one performing the hand-off. Now, imagine the two people who were closest to Jesus during His time on earth, The Virgin Mother of God and Saint Joseph, in His presence again as part of the Communion of Saints, interceding for you, but not just for you. They are interceding for your family, that they would be firmly placed in HIs grace and peace. They want your family to be a holy family, too. There are many families who have members who no longer practice the faith. I am sure that parents and grandparents have offered countless prayers for them. Now I invite you to consider this week’s prayer as a model for your intercession, whether it be for health, or for distance, or for unity for your family, that through this perfect sacrifice of Jesus, ask Mary and Joseph, that through their intercession, your family could be like theirs, not perfect, (because we’re human), but holy. May holy families in the world today reflect the love between the Holy Family. ![Lectio the Liturgy Sunday December 28, 2025](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lectio%20the%20Liturgy%20Sunday%20December%2028%2c%20%202025.png?width=806&height=1008&name=Lectio%20the%20Liturgy%20Sunday%20December%2028%2c%20%202025.png) --- Copyright 2025 Julie Storr Images: Holy Cross Family Ministries ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-december-28-2025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-december-28-2025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-december-28-2025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Lectio%20the%20Liturgy%3A%20Sunday%2C%20December%2028%2C%202025) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-december-28-2025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Flectio-the-liturgy-sunday-december-28-2025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Julie Storr](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Julie%20Storr%20-%20Julie%20Storr.jpg) ### [Julie Storr](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/julie-storr) Julie Storr surprised herself when she went from “never ever going to be Catholic” to a lover of the lectionary. Her thirst for the Faith is never quenched and she is always surprised at the depth of the relationship with Christ that one can find in the Catholic Church. She and her husband live in Pocahontas, Iowa. Visit her website at [LectioTheLiturgy.com](https://www.lectiotheliturgy.com). [**](https://www.facebook.com/LectioTheLiturgy) ## Related Blog Articles [ Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, March 26, 2023 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-march-26-2023) [ Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, January 29, 2023 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-january-29-2023) [ Lectio the Liturgy: Sunday, April 2, 2023 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/lectio-the-liturgy-sunday-april-2-2023) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to receive our free daily digest email. Copyright © 2026 CatholicMom.com. All Rights Reserved.